Gluten-free Spiced Nutella Loaf Cake

This is a delicious teatime treat. A moist, light loaf cake flavoured with warming cinnamon & rich chocolate hazelnut flavour from the Nutella. It is wonderfully quick to make too & lasts for up to a week, if you can resist it that long!

Ingredients

6 oz gluten-free self-raising flour (I use Dove’s Farm)

6 oz softened unsalted butter

6 oz caster sugar

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Baking Powder (make sure it’s gluten-free!)

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

6 tbsp milk

4 tbsp Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut spread!)

2 oz hazelnuts (chopped, roughly in halves)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C/ Gas Mark 4
2. Grease & line a 1lb loaf tin
3. Put the butter, flour, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, Xanthan Gum, sugar & milk into your mixing bowl. It’s best to use an electric mixer to beat well, until combined, light and fluffy. It takes 1 -2 minutes.
4. Then add your 4 tbsp Nutella & hazelnuts and mix gently until the whole mixture is chocolate-coloured & the hazelnuts are evenly distributed
5. Pour into your loaf tin and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 1 hour & 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack & removing the paper to cool completely.
8. This cake is great because it keeps for up to 1 week, in an airtight container. It lasts even better if you double wrap it in foil.

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Well, it seems like Autumn is already upon us and I’ve been under the weather for weeks now. I’ve been putting my hand to some new soup recipes. These will certainly see you through the winter. Today, I’ll share my recipe for Spicy Butternut Squash Soup.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash- I would say mine was medium sized

4 tsp Marigold Vegetable Boullion made up to 850ml with boiling water

2 red chillis- finely chopped. I actually use frozen ones now because it’s easier and prevents waste

1 garlic clove- sliced

2 onions- chopped

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp butter

Natural yogurt- add to taste

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220C. Cut the squash into smallish cubes leaving the skin on, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with the olive oil. Roast for 30-40 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.
2. While the squash cooks, melt the butter over a medium heat in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic and the chilli. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft. (It needs to be a large saucepan as you will add the butternut squash later!)
3. Tip the squash onto a board and remove the skin. Then put it into the pan (it helps if you can mash it a bit first), add the stock and whizz with a stick blender until smooth. You could use a liquidiser if you have one. Bring the soup to the boil and season to taste.
4. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of the natural yogurt. You can also add a bit more natural yogurt to cool it down, as it does have quite a chilli kick.

P.S. I haven’t had a moment to take a photo yet, I will try and add one tomorrow. I always prefer to know what the end product should look like!